How the CeBIT PitchFest can accelerate your start-up’s growth

As CeBIT Australia 2018 fast approaches, one of the most anticipated events is the PitchFest, where start-ups go head-to-head in front of our highly experienced panel of judges, and an audience of fellow start-ups, investors and potential customers, to see who will come out on top.

Harvey Stockbridge, Managing Director of Hannover Fairs:

"Tech StartUps in Australia form a critical pillar of our economy, and have a crucial role to play in maintaining and growing our significance globally in a digital future.

CeBIT PitchFest allows start-ups that take part in CeBIT to leverage off the events incredible PR engine, and really turbo charge their profile and development. We’ve had some amazing winners over the past few years, and I can’t wait to see who comes out on top in 2018."

This year’s PitchFest prize includes a full sized booth at CeBIT 2019, and membership and ongoing mentorship from TiE Sydney, a non-profit, global networking community.

But what really makes the PitchFest worth winning is the prestige, credibility and validation that comes with walking away with the top prize – and that, to borrow a slogan from MasterCard, is priceless.

A look back at last year’s winner

Look Who's Charging at CeBIT Australia 2017

Since winning CeBIT’s PitchFest 2017, Look Who’s Charging, which helps consumers identify who has charged their credit card or debit card, has been going from strength to strength. Last year, they scored a major partnership with NAB and went live with NAB’s mobile banking app in August 2017, and NAB’s desktop apps in December 2017, thereby extending Look Who’s Charging’s reach to 20% of the population. The feature they enabled was even the source of a recent NAB ad campaign.

They’re currently in discussions with other major financial institutions to form similar partnerships.

“We received coverage in the SMH, AFR and The Age. In addition, a number of investors were also in the audience and we were approached with a number of offers after the event,” he says. “CeBIT is also a globally recognised brand and winning the PitchFest has added a great deal of credibility to our business when we have been out pitching to large financial institutions.”